Sports have rules and guidelines. To see that the sport is played according to the laws, an official or officials are on the playing area or sidelines, who interpret the rules as well as dispense decisions.
Electronics have assisted in making the task of officiating sports easier and more accurate.
In many cases the whistle and game time are still performed, by using air from the mouth to produce the whistle sound, with a hand action on the game time piece. The game time piece in many sports is normally activated by an official, in conjunction with but after the whistle sound is heard. This does cause a delay in real time, in regards to the game time being as accurate as it could be, whereby if a direct relationship between the whistle and game time piece where established the accuracy factor would be more realistic, therefore having electronics incorporated, as this remote device is fitted with, has eliminated the time lost, between the whistle sound and game time being controlled, with or without a whistle sound being heard.
The device of Fujita U.S. RE 29,720 dated August 1978 is a time correction apparatus. An official at a sports event can use this, although it is not a remote control. It does not have the option of sounding a whistle, nor the ability of sending a coded transmission or to receive a coded signal to perform the function of starting or stopping a game time piece, nor to sound and control whistle related equipment.
The invention of Iwai et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,105,902 dated August 1978 is not meant to be used at a sports event. The action of this switch is a touch sensitive activation means, without the ability on activation, to sound a whistle, at activation location or transmit a signal to other equipment to sound a whistle, or start of stop a game time piece on or off the field.
The invention of Yamamoto U.S. Pat. No. 5,847,652 dated December 1998 does produce a whistle sound. The system uses two separate housings connected by a wire to complete the circuit, from activation to the mechanism that produces the sound. This device does not have any time related influence in its activation. My device fits into one housing, with the ability to control a game timepiece with or without the sound of a whistle, from on the field, by transmitting a coded signal, to other on or off the field, time or whistle compatible equipment.
The invention of Peljac U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,013 dated May 2000 is used by two sideline officials off the field of play, to obtain the attention of the main official on the field of play and to obtain the attention of other officials involved with the game. This device does not have the ability to sound a whistle, nor is it capable of controlling on or off the field game timepieces. This device when activated is normally waved in the air above the shoulders, to increase the visibility of the device, to officials, players and spectators, while my device once activated at any hand elevation, is not flashed around for visibility. More than one official, with my device, who is involved with the sport, at any time, can activate the whistle or game time piece from on the playing area or sidelines.
The invention of Poole U.S. Pat. No. 6,369,697 B1 dated April 2002 has the ability to control game related time pieces on or off the field, in a secure group. The mobile device has a single switch means to complete the circuit so that the signal to start or stop a related game time piece can be executed. This device at activation location does not have the ability to produce the sound of a whistle. The receiving equipment also does not have the means to produce a whistle sound at any location. My device at point of activation can produce a whistle sound as well as from any other remotes or compatible equipment, on or off the field of play.
The invention of Calace U.S. Pat. No. 6,603,711 B2 dated August 2003 discloses a remote that is capable of controlling time keeping devices on or of the field of play. This device on activation sends a signal that controls one or more game time pieces. This device has been configured to be worn as a glove, that requires a left or right hand, as well as sizes, which are not mentioned, as well a wrist watch or a clip on device, which are both very impractical.
The invention of Schneider U.S. Pat. No. 6,181,236 filed on Dec. 4, 1999 and issued on Jan. 30, 2001 uses air, with a conventional whistle, as well as the wireless signal is generated by the air from the whistle. My Invention does not use air.
The invention of Burke U.S. Publication 2004/0179432 filed on Feb. 18, 2004 and published on Sep. 6, 2004 is a self-regulating universal master clock that transmits the signal to other clocks to regulate the time. My Invention sends the signal to a game time piece, which has to do with a sports related event keeping track of the time still to play.
My device when activated a whistle sound can be produced at activation location electronically, this does not signify that a game time piece is being sent a coded signal to perform any function. My device does not have a time piece in or on the remote. My device has two switches that each performs two tasks. The whistle sound, with time piece activation switch is slightly raised on my device, for ease of identification. The time piece activation switch with learn mode sequence is slightly recessed on my device, so that it should not be activated inadvertently. My device can be worn from a strap or be carried in the palm of either hand, with no left or right hand, or sizes required.
None of the devices mentioned has a safety feature incorporated into any of the activation means. On pushing the whistle/time related switch, on my device, resistance as the safety phase is encountered, allowing only the whistle sound related equipment to be activated on or off the field. The game time related equipment is sent a coded signal only when the activation switch means is pushed through this safety phase in its downward movement so that no mistake should occur, to start or stop a game time piece. None of those devices mentioned, which can include one or more remote controls for use at a sport event, for whistle or watch related equipment that are on or off the field, have considered the possibility of a malfunction, a component being lost, or being taken to another location, or one field being next to each other, so that they can be set up to function once again within a group. None of these devices mentioned, elaborate on how they are going to be made compatible to work within a group, should any one or more of the above situations arise, although they might have many combinations of coded signals. All of the above mentioned devices are susceptible to water damage that can cause them to malfunction, as none are waterproof.
My remote device or devices which can be located on or off the field address's all of these issues, so that a secure, all weather, easy to carry and setup means, works within a compatible group, allowing more than one field to be next to each other.